


Cafe Umbrellas

by infectedscrew



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: F/F, F/M, First Date, It's impossible to tell who is dating who, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-07
Updated: 2016-05-07
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:11:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6770038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infectedscrew/pseuds/infectedscrew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stephanie and Cass go out for a date and accidentally spy on someone else's double date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cafe Umbrellas

**Author's Note:**

> A commission piece that asked for Steph/Cass catching the Outlaws + Dick on a double date. I will never tell you who is dating who though. Enjoy~

Stephanie kicked her heels against the brick wall. After a second, Cassandra did the same. The copied move made Steph chuckle and lightly shake her head. The two young women were perched on a low apartment roof, looking over the busy boutique filled historic street in North Gotham. It was a bright and busy Saturday as they licked at their ice cream and watched the people shuffle along below them.

One of Steph’s favorite pastimes was people-watching, especially when Cass was around. She would always drag the other girl with her to find someone to create an elaborate, often ridiculous story about. While it wasn’t exactly who she imagined her first date with Cass to go, she found it a lot better than most of the fake excursions she’d set up in her head.

Then again, she hadn’t even been intending to ask Cass out. When she had first suggested the outing she certainly didn’t plan on it. Then everyone was bothering her, asking a million questions. Everyone under the Bat umbrella, Babs and Bruce included, were grilling her about her Saturday plans. They all thought something else was happening and she, for the life of her, couldn’t figure out why. She had thought she had kept her affections for Cass a well-guarded secretly. Only Tim knew and he would never tell, not unless he was prepared to face an early death.

Damian attempting to offer her date advice had been the final straw. In the Cave, just after patrol, she had bursted and snapped at the newest Robin and it was a date and it was going to be damn fun no matter what and if the family didn’t keep their noses out of her business they were going to lose them. It had quickly quelled the interrogations but had left Steph horrified.

Cass had quietly asked her later if she really meant for their outing to be a date. In an instant Steph had assured her that she had been fully intending to ask her out, had been thinking about it for awhile. She just hadn’t been ready yet and all the questions had left her so flustered that she didn’t know what to do with herself.

It turned out that Cass didn’t mind in the least and had happily agreed once she knew the truth. Apparently, she had been waiting for Steph to ask. The whole situation was just very Steph and Cass had thought it was wonderful.

After lunch, Steph had dragged Cass to her favorite ice cream shop and then up to the rooftops of Gotham’s richest shopping streets. Everything, so far, had turned out perfect. The stories Steph had crafted ranged from ridiculous and wild down to the simple and obvious. Right at that moment she was in the middle of the ludicrous ones.

“A spy?” Cass repeated, cutting into Steph’s story.

They were staring down at the man Steph had pointed out. He was standing outside an expensive clothing store as if he was hired to show off their clothes.

Steph nodded, expression serious. “A spy,” she concluded, “a’la Jason Bourne.”

Cass’ lips pursed slightly. She shook her head, “he’s not Jason.”

A laugh echoed from Steph. “No, that guy isn’t named Jason. Well, I mean, he could be. But no, Jason Bourne is a movie spy. He’s a government agent. It’s one of my favorite movie series. Anyway! Moving on.”

Lifting one finger off of her dripping ice cream cone, she pointed at the well-dressed, serious looking man.

“So this guy is waiting for someone, possibly a mark. Look how serious he is.”

“Nervous,” Cass corrected.

Steph blinked, her hand lowering slightly. She leaned forward, squinting at him. “You think?” she asked, tilting her head.

Cass nodded. She didn’t feel the need to explain but Steph nudged her and lifted her eyebrows in a significant sort of way. It was her silent que for more, a look Cass had long grown used to.

Carefully setting aside her ice cream bowl, Cass focused more intently on the man.

“His left hand,” she said finally.

Steph stared, expression comically intense as she stared. “It… Won’t stop moving?”

Cass nodded once. “And his head,” she added.

“It exists,” Steph offered.

Amusement flickered through Cass but she shook her head. Some of the best parts of going people-watching with Steph was seeing how quickly she could pick up the same clues Cass had been searching for her entire life. She still had a lot to learn, but she was much better at it than she thought.

Steph frowned, watching the man. Her eyebrow arched and her face brightened. “He keeps moving it,” she said. “Like he’s searching for someone or something.”

“Yes. Touching his hair too,” Cass pointed out.

“Oh! He’s trying to make sure he looks good.”

Cass looked pleased as she gave another nod.

“New story!” Steph crowed. “This guy, around thirty-four, divorcee, with two kids. Saw a hot chick online, one of those slightly sketch dating apps. He isn’t sure if he’s early or late, or if he’ll even recognize her. What’s worse, he’s not sure if it’ll work out.”

It was always impressive to listen to Steph weave her stories. They often come very quickly and could turn at the drop of a hat.

The pair quieted, watching the man. In a handful of minutes later, a stunning woman with long, flowing hair, hurried up to the man.

“Apologizing, she’s guilty,” Cass murmured.

Steph nodded, still watching for the next move.

Below them the couple shook hands and then, the man offered a hug which the woman accepted.

Steph cheered, making a couple pedestrians look around curiously. The story might not have been a perfect match but it was certainly close to reality.

“Okay,” Steph said,” looking around and slurping her ice cream. “Who is next?”

“Him?” Cass suggested, pointing to a man talking loudly on his phone standing defiantly on the street corner and, largely, getting in everyone’s way.

“Ugh, looks like a real case,” Steph groaned, rolling her eyes. She head to lean forward slightly to see him better. When she moved she missed Cass’ small jump. But she certainly didn’t miss her next word.

“Dick.”

Steph chuckled, looking back to the woman beside her. “Well, you’re probably not wrong,” she agreed, smirking.

“No. Grayson,” Cass amended.

The smirk disappeared and Steph’s eyes widened. Her head whipped around to quickly check the roof. Finding them alone, she refocused on the street. “Where?” She hissed, gripping her ice cream.

Cass lifted her hand and pointed at a cafe diagonal and across the street from them.

The cafe was a popular spot for shoppers. The tables were quaint and covered by cheerfully colored umbrellas. The food wasn’t much to brag about but the atmosphere certainly was. It was close to a Parisian cafe that Gotham could get without actually building their own Eiffel Tower.

And standing beside the entrance, talking to a hostess, was their very own Dick Grayson. He was smiling widely and dressed very casually in tight slacks and a nice polo. It was very clear that he was meeting people when the hostess took them to one of the slightly bigger tables meant for the larger groups.

If possible, Steph’s eyes got even bigger. “Oh, my God,” she breathed.

Cass nodded, very much feeling the sentiment.

The only grew when three more, equally familiar people arrived. Even from their distance it was impossible to miss Koriand’r. Her hair alone would make sure they could see her from any direction. The low-cut sundress did the rest of the work for her. Two steps behind, Jason and Roy followed, having an easy conversation. They both looked, for all the world, like just two more upper crust boys in worn jeans and boots.

“How bizarre,” Steph said.

It was very clear all three were happy to see Dick. Especially when the famous princess

broke away from the other two and she hurried up to the first boy wonder to yank him into a smothering hug. She lifted the grinning man off the ground for a moment before she kissed his cheek.

As soon as Dick was back on the ground, he gestured to the cafe table for them. He pulled out Kori’s seat and took the one next to her. Jason settled across from him and Roy took the remaining place.

Amusement was clear on Roy’s features. He blow a teasing kiss to Dick, who played right along and pretended to catch it. Next to Roy, Jason only shook his head, although a slight grin was settled on his features.

Steph and Cass were stunned into silence. To their knowledge, they were supposed to be the only ones going out for the day. They had left the rest of the family back home at the Manor. No one else had made any hint that they might be leaving. There was a very good chance, they weren’t supposed to know.

“What do you think?” Steph whispered, as if the table could hear them. “A date?”

Cass frowned, staring at them. “Yes?”

“What’d you say it like that for?” Steph asked, a matching frown on her face.

Cass opened her mouth but didn’t know how to explain. Luckily for her, Steph barrelled on.

“I agree, though! I think it looks like a date. Also, Jason looks good in short sleeves,” Steph said, slipping her phone out of her pocket to snap a picture. She sent it to Tim and saved one for herself. Blackmail was always very important in their family. “But who is here for who?”

For once Cass’ training in body language and being able to read all it’s subtle shifts, offered no answers for her. Even if their own date had been built entirely around people-watching and guessing each story, they had run into a first real challenge.

The two finished their ice cream as they watched the double-date progress. They shared theories but there wasn’t one that they were confident on.

“Okay, Jason and Dick are dating,” Steph declared, sitting up straight.

When Jason reached across the table and squeezed Dick’s hand in a strangely soothing and intimate gestured, they were both inclined to agree with the guess. That was until Roy stood and pressed a soft kiss to the crown of Jason’s head. It wasn’t one of his mocking, sloppy kisses that he sometimes gave when he was making fun of other couples. It was sweet and meant for Jason to enjoy.

“Roy and Jason then?” Cass said slowly.

“Oh, come on,” Steph moaned, slapping a hand over her face. She peeked between her fingers, waiting for the next clue. “Maybe Dick is with Kori, then?”

Dick draped his arm over the back of Kori’s chair and pressed his hand between her shoulder blades, thumb passing over the exposed skin. Kori shifted in her seat to press a little closer to him.

“Settled then,” Steph said, nodding.

Then the food arrived and everything was thrown into confusion again. Especially when Roy leaned across the table to feed Dick a piece of meal right off of his own fingers. The man never shared his food and the smoldering look they shared promised a rather happy ending to the date. It was only worse when he offered the same to Kori and her lips lingered around the tips of his fingers.

Of course, that could have just been Kori.

Even Jason gave her food from his plate. Only the strangely private smile that she gave him in return made it anything other than the innocent food-share that it was supposed to be.

“Seriously?” Steph practically screeched, throwing her hands up in defeat. “I have literally no idea. I can’t watch anymore.”

Without another word, she flopped onto her back. She didn’t even wince when she collided with the gravely roof, entirely fed up with the situation.

Cass watched a moment longer but when Jason leaned across the table to wipe a smudge of sauce off of Dick’s lip, she knew she wasn’t going to figure anything else out either. In a much less dramatic flair, she laid back as well. Lacing her hands over her stomach, she looked up at the clear sky and tried to guess what had happened.

“Some way to end the date,” Steph grumbled.

“Confusing end,” Cass agreed.

Beside her, Steph took in a heavy breath. It was the kind of breath that meant she was about to ask something that made her nervous. If Cass just stayed quiet, Steph would find her words and her courage.

True to form, there was a short pause before Stephanie moved again and spoke. She had shifted onto her side to face Cass, propping her head up on one hand. She was giving Cass a very intent stare.

“Our date is missing something,” Steph stated in a huff. “And I don’t just mean an answer for whatever the hell is going on down there.”

Cass turned her head to look at Steph, eyebrow raised in curiosity.

Steph cleared her throat, picking at the rooftop as Cass waited.

There was clearly something that Steph wanted but couldn’t quite convince herself to ask for. Cass wracked her brain for how most dates went. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much experience in that area. Just when she had decided to ask, an older memory pulled itself to the front of her mind.

“It was a bad date,” Tim had whispered to Cass as they watched Steph furiously shovel down french fries. “If the date doesn’t end with a kiss, she considers it a failure.”

“Why?” She had asked, watching Steph’s alarming eating.

Tim had shrugged. “She likes it. Means she made a connection.”

At the time Cass hadn’t understood but she certainly did now. Steph needed touch like other people needed air. Much like Dick, she thrived on it. It helped to ground her and remind her that the relationship, the person, was real and continuing.

On the rooftop where they had eaten ice cream and people-watched, Cass realized that she very much wanted to give Steph the validity of a connection. The confusion about the group at the cafe table faded away as she focused on that fact alone.

As the young woman next to her still struggled with her words, Cass pushed herself up into a sitting position. She leaned forward to press her lips to Steph’s cheeks. It was a chaste touch but, in the end, it would have to do–it would be all Cass could do for the time being.

“Oh!” Steph blinked. Then she beamed. “How did you know?”

“Lucky guess?”

Steph’s smile grew impossibly wider. She closed the distance a second time to press a soft, closed-mouth kiss to Cass’ lips.

“Let’s see what the others are doing,” Steph announced as soon as she had pulled back. She was already getting to her feet before Cass could see how red her face had gotten–it didn’t work, but Cass could appreciate the effort.

Both women moved back to the edge of the roof and looked down.

“Hey…” Steph started, hands dropping to her hips.

“Gone,” Cass finished.

The small table the group had been occupying was now empty. Only the dirty dishes and a forgotten to-go container were the only clues that they had been there are all.

“Race you back home,” Steph said out of the corner of her mouth.

“Interrogate them?” Cass asked, correctly guessing Steph’s intent for when they did reach home.

“Of course. Dick won’t know what hit him.”


End file.
